The Reward
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10) Encouragement to believers persecuted for their commitment to Jesus Christ. First, be prepared
for true persecution—a kingdom needs four elements: a king, laws, subjects who obey the laws, and jurisdiction. Every kingdom has an army; Christians are warriors of the cross, invading Satan’s dominion to rescue those held captive by sin. Being persecuted for righteousness is a clear signal that we have engaged the enemy. 1 Peter 5:5-11 reveals steps in preparing for true persecution: remain under authority (v. 5), rest in the Lord’s strength (vv. 6-7), and resist the attacks of Satan (vv. 8-9). Remember two things about lions: they are predators and they are intimidators. Second, respond properly to verbal attacks—“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” (Matthew 5:11) What response should we have when we are attacked verbally? “[Have] a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.” (1 Peter 3:16) Endurance is the needed character quality when verbally attacked, so that they may see your good conduct, and become ashamed of theirs. Third, overcome persecution with hope—“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12) Understand the concept of overcoming persecution: the rejoicing we are called to here requires hope: “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Romans 8:24-25) The measure of maturity is how long you will wait for a reward.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
